I'll Follow You Into The Dark
by BlueLLama9
Summary: What if, while begging Sasuke to not leave her, he actually decided to take her with him? What if Sasuke and Sakura descended into darkness together? AU in which Sasuke doesn't leave Sakura behind.
1. Little Brave Girl

**Autho's Note:** I've wanted to write this multi chapter AU for a really long time now, and I truly hope any of you guys who read it are as excited as I am because the idea of Sasuke and Sakura "going dark" together always fascinated me. I'll try to do this idea justice and I hope I wll succeed. Enjoy.

* * *

><p><em>Thank you. <em>

The two wonderful, warm words were swirling inside of Sakura Haruno's half conscious mind. All she could feel was the wind brushing on her skin, strong hands grasping at her legs and a ticklish sensation on her left cheek. Mind still fuzzy, she could only assume she was being carried on someone's back.

Voices were occasionally breaking the silence, mentioning words like "underground lair" and "Orochimaru". As Sakura's mind started to clear she only became more confused. Thinking back on her last encounter with Sasuke Uchiha, the boy she had been so desperate to keep home, she was firmly convinced she had not gotten through to him. So why was she waking up to this strange situation?

"I don't understand why you have to bring her with you. She's slowing us down significantly." said a feminine sounding voice.

"Complaining isn't going to speed us up. Just shut up and focus on taking me to Orochimaru." replied a voice all too familiar to Sakura.

Her body stiffened, realization crashing down on her. Sasuke, in spite of his behaviour and intentions, took her with him. Why had he knocked her out then, she wondered, if he never intended to leave her behind? No doubt the sudden change in her was noticed, but for whatever reason Sasuke chose to not outwardly acknowledge he knew she was awake.

Well aware of the fact that she would get no answers by pretending she was asleep, Sakura inhaled deeply and, as quietly as she could, she asked:

"Sasuke..-kun?"

Eyes were on her the second she spoke. Neither Sasuke or the other people Sakura could sense around her stopped running. Tension hung heavily in the air for a few long seconds, until Sasuke replied.

"You're awake." he said, simply.

Uncomfortable with the people around her, Sakura chose to remain silent for a while. Her eyes, now open, were adjusting to the morning light, and she realized she had no idea where they were or where they were headed.

As expected, Sasuke, too, remained silent, and Sakura got nothing but hostile looks from the odd people that were following the young Uchiha. Knowing all too well they could all hear her, even if she whispered, she still chose to continue asking her questions in an almost silent voice.

"I thought you were going to leave me behind. Why did you take me with you?"

For a few moments, Sasuke's hands tensing, applying a bit more pressure to her legs, was the only response that she received. She could not see his face, and even if she could, she figured there was not much she could read on his expression. For a brief moment her heart felt light, imagining a scenario in which Sasuke decided he couldn't possibly leave her behind. The moment of happiness was short lived, however, when Sasuke decided to speak.

"It would have been troublesome for you to wake up and tell the Hokage what happened."

Love stories of princes who could not leave their loves behind no matter what were a thing of the past for a kunoichi of Sakura's age, who was already acquainted with the harsh reality of the shinobi world. That did not, however, stop the pain she felt from being told she was there only in order for Sasuke to protect his goal. She was a nuisance he did not want that would only cause more problems if left behind.

"Why did you knock me out and act like you were going to leave me behind, then?" she asked, pleasantly surprised that she sounded more angry than sad.

"I didn't want you to see where we were going." he replied.

Sakura took note of the fact that he answered only half of the question. She did not push the matter, knowing Sasuke well enough to know that he would only get irritated. Conflicted, now that her head was clear, she realized that her conviction to stay by his side no matter what was strongly influence by her having to face his inevitable departure. Unsure of whether or not she was truly ready to leave her family behind, she felt deep desperation. It was replaced quickly with the determination that always seemed to overwhelm her when in Sasuke's presence.

She had a choice, and a very clear one. Depending on what was going to happen from now on, she could either support Sasuke or find a way back to Konoha carrying useful information about a very dangerous and important missing nin. All she had to do was wait and see which choice was the right one.

"I can run on my own now, Sasuke-kun." said the pink haired kunoichi in a clear voice.

Sasuke stopped suddenly, as did his companions, and he looked over his shoulder into her eyes. For a brief moment she could see doubt and his struggle over whether or not she could be trusted.

_Cautious as always, aren't you Sasuke? Even when it comes to me... _

Nodding, Sasuke let go of Sakura's legs, setting her free. After a few moments of stretching her stiff body, Sakura glanced at the other four... no, five people. They all looked like they would happily send a sea of unkind remarks in her direction, had it not been for the Uchiha's presence. Putting two and two together she figured they were supposed to be Sasuke's team, or bodyguards, sent by Orochimaru himself. Her eyes went back to Sasuke, who, looking incredibly impatient, turned around and took a step forward.

"Actually..." the large man out of the group started saying "it's good that we stopped. There's something we have to do, Sasuke-sama."

Surprised she had not noticed it before, Sakura's eyes landed on the large scroll the man with two heads was carrying. As she glanced worried between it and the man himself, he began explaining:

"Orochimaru-sama gave us an order, something we must do before bringing you to him."

"What is it?" asked Sasuke.

"You have to "die" once." the man said cryptically, half smirking.

Die? Why would Orochimaru want to kill Sasuke? Why would he go through all of this trouble only to murder him before he even got to his location? Sakura asked herself all of these questions in a fraction of a second, and before even realizing her body was moving she dashed between the man carrying the scroll and Sasuke.

Mocking laughter surrounded her instantly, but she did not falter. She had nothing but her bare fists, but she knew she had grown, even if only a little, and she would protect Sasuke.

Sasuke's hand was on her shoulder, his expression as stoic as always. She squeezed briefly before letting go, as if to tell her to calm down, then stepped in front of her.

"What do you mean, I need to die once?" he asked, irritated.

"Exactly what he said." replied the voice Sakura had heard earlier.

"Stop fucking around and explain already." threatened Sasuke, glaring at each of his companions one by one.

The man carrying the scroll began his explanation. He told a brief story of how himself and his brother, whom he introduced as Sakon and Ukon, along with the woman, Tayuya and the other two, Kidōmaru and Jirōbō, acquired their powers. They presented Sasuke with a small, glass bottle filled with pills meant to kill him, then explained how their barrier would lessen the effects and simply induce a deep coma, while the pill did its job and Sasuke's curse seal advanced to the next level.

Needless to say, Sakura was horrified by the notion of Sasuke dying or being in any kind of coma, the memory of him in a hospital bed for weeks, never waking up, still fresh in her mind. She wanted to protest as soon as Sakon finished his explanation, but Sasuke, as if he read her mind, shook his head at her before turning towards the rest of the group.

"How confident are you in your skills?" he asked.

"Don't worry, there's no chance you could die." answered Kidōmaru, the strange man with six arms.

As soon as he spoke those words, Sakon opened up the large scroll and summoned what looked like a large, wooden barrel with black markings surrounding it. Sasuke took one of the small pills in his hand and after looking around at his group for a short moment, he swallowed it and hopped into the container.

Standing back, Sakura observed Orochimaru's followers perform a series of complicated seals, and a dark smoke erupting out of nowhere. The smoke rose into the air, swirling up, almost like a tornado, then finally descending into the container Sasuke was inside of, darkening the top and being sealed by the tags Sakon released into the air.

When the barrier was completed, they all sighed with relief, looking slightly exhausted. Sakura stepped closer, feeling the need to protect Sasuke who was now more vulnerable than ever, and was met with amused looks. Scared and unsure, she decided the most important thing was to not show any of her emotions. She would stick with Sasuke, help and protect him, and she would sure as hell never allow Orochimaru to turn him into monsters like the ones currently looking down on her.

"Welcome to the group, little girl." said Kidōmaru mockingly "Let's hope Orochimaru-sama likes you."


	2. Leave Her Behind

Running for hours without an end in sight was a feeling Sakura had always enjoyed. Her training was always more focused on her mind rather than her body, but there was something about simply running, every muscle in her body being pushed to the limit, that she found exhilarating.

On this particular occasion, however, every moment felt like hell. Her eyes spinning madly, trying to take in all of her surroundings and every action of her enemies turned allies, gave her a headache unlike any other she's felt before. Her body was sore, speed taken down a lot by her lack of focus and her nervousness. She chanted inside of her head over and over that she had to adapt quickly or she wouldn't be able to protect Sasuke or even survive herself.

So she just ran, following people she did not know and did not trust, into a territory more dangerous than she had ever had to face before. Dark smoke kept leaking out of the barrel Sasuke was sealed into, reminding her that if anything went wrong, all of this was for nothing and she could be killed in an instant. She wondered how long until they would get to rest, if at all, and how close they were to their destination. The thought of asking any questions was terrifying, not knowing what kind of people she was dealing with, yet even so, dreading all those times she had put off practicing taijutsu, she bit her lip and pushed though her fear.

"How long until we arrive?"

She was once again met with hostility, but it was a valid question and all of them seemed as tired as she was, so Jirōbō, in an overly polite and forced tone, answered:

"We've made good progress and we're around half a day away."

"We should probably rest for a bit." added Sakon, who looked especially tired from carrying Sasuke.

The four of them seemed to work well as a team, despite the occasional insults thrown around by the red headed woman and the jabs they took at each other. Without a prompt, Kidōmaru began setting traps around the camp they had made, going as far as one mile away to make sure they'd get a warning in time, should they have been followed.

Sakura wondered if anyone knew where she and Sasuke had disappeared, if anyone had the smallest clue what was happening right now. Considering she was the only one to guess Sasuke's plans, and Naruto's infinite optimism, her guess would be that no one knew and they wouldn't know for at least another day or two. Her family was used to her randomly disappearing on a mission, and Sasuke had no one at home to wonder where he was. The thought made her shudder.

Determined to not allow her doubts and fears to overwhelm her, she walked over to where Sakon had set Sasuke down, and she sat in front of the container, focusing only on making sure nothing would happen to it. She was almost certain there would be no resting that night. Her allies were not even hers, but Sasuke's, and she could not let her guard down at all.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Sakura could not tell exactly how many, the sun was barely peeking, ready to rise. She heard heavy breathing and even snoring around her, but her eyes never once moved from the container. It was smoking heavily, a thick, black substance that seemed almost like it was alive. Just as she was about to doze off, she was startled by a loud noise, coming from inside of it.<p>

All of the thick smoke rose up at once, covering their surroundings entirely, and then disappeared leaving no trace behind. As it cleared up, all that was left was Sasuke, standing outside of the barrel, looking nothing like himself.

Skin covered in the markings from his seal, one eye looking like that of a demon's, Sasuke stood in front of his five companions oozing power and bloodlust. Slowly, the marks expanded and soon his skin was an unhealthy looking gray, his body barely looking human.

Sakura sat up slowly, taking in the sight. Even with her minimal combat experience, she knew Sasuke had just gained twice the power ha had before, and he was a strong shinobi to begin with. Silently, she stared until he was brought back from his deep thoughts. Cure seal now back to its original form, Sasuke looked displeased.

"I still need more." he said. "How much longer until we get to Orochimaru?"

"Not that long." answered Sakon while getting up.

The group was preparing to take off, and the effects of the sleepless night were not doing Sakura any favours. Her body felt heavy, her eyes ready to close and not open for a few hours. To her surprise, she found Sasuke staring at her with an expression she could not read, not because it was indifferent as always, but because she had not seen it before.

"Leave her. She'll only slow us down. We're far from Konoha and have a hell of a head start. She wasted an entire night watching over you so it's her fault, too." said Tayuya, while the others nodded in agreement.

Sasuke's eyes were locked on Sakura's, and she wondered how much it will hurt when he agrees with them, too. She raised her head slightly, preparing for the blow, when he said:

"I'll carry her."

Sakura's eyes were incredibly wide, for a second forgetting to keep a blank expression. She watched as Sasuke simply turned his back to her, positioned his hands near his body and waited for her to get up.

"I can run, Sasuke-kun." she tried convincing both him and herself.

He peeked over his shoulder, and only waved one hand around to make her hurry up.

"You look like you're going to collapse and it'll be faster this way, just get up." he replied.

Ignoring the fact that staying behind was the easy way out and that every muscle in her body wanted to run away from the enemies that were there and the ones that they would be approaching, she took a step forward and climbed onto Sasuke's back, resting her forehead on his neck.

Cheeks burning red, she did her best to conceal her embarrassment and nervousness. Mentally scolding herself for still feeling like this in her current situation, she allowed herself to rest, feeling safer with Sasuke now awake and strong enough to defend himself.

* * *

><p>His speed was unreal. Trees were mixing with each other, forming one continuous string of brown and green, making Sakura dizzy whenever she opened her eyes to see where she was. She felt Sasuke slow down occasionally, only to look back and check if the direction they were headed in was correct.<p>

Arms wrapped tightly around his neck, Sakura tried to focus on the one thing that had been bothering her ever since this entire chaotic situation started. Sasuke's thank you. It was strange, him being so open, and she wasn't even sure what she was being thanked for. It sounded more like a goodbye than anything, yet here she was, on his back, following him on his path for revenge. Perhaps she had imagined it, made it up to comfort herself, she thought, although something at the back of her mind was telling her that was not the case.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked quietly, her lips almost touching his ear.

His reply was almost inaudible, but she was certain from the vibrations in his neck that he had replied with one of his trademark "hn" sounds.

"Thank you, for carrying me. I know this would all be going faster without me."

It had to have been her imagination, but for a second, when she spoke those words, Sasuke's shoulders tensed up and his speed decreased by just a little. Sakura felt a slight vibration under her arm which she took as Sasuke's reply. Smiling to herself, she propped her head on his back and rested her eyes, thinking that maybe, even in a situation like this one, Sasuke could remain the same Sasuke she'd come this far for. Never once did it cross her mind that she herself might change instead.


	3. New Home

The whole journey had been dreadful. Between running away from home, dying once and joining one of the most notorious missing nin, Sasuke Uchiha was feeling quite irritable and exhausted. The only comfort he currently had was the warm weight on his back. His pink haired teammate whom, for a reason he did not know - or want to admit - was there with him on this dangerous mission.

Slowing down his pace to fall behind his new followers, Sasuke had plenty of time to think things over. It was incredibly clear to him that he needed to get stronger and it needed to be done fast, and in order to do that, bonds like the one he had with his team had to be cut off.

So, then, why was Sakura's breath currently warming the back of his neck? Sasuke pondered that question since he decided to bring her along. It was true that taking her along reduced the risk of getting caught, but he could have left her somewhere along the road to find her way back. It would have been enough.

_She could be useful. _

The thought crossed the Uchiha's mind briefly, but again, he knew that was not it, and as they neared the edge of the forest they had been running through, his eyes landing on what he suspected was the top of an underground base, he admitted to himself, reluctantly, that she was a comforting piece of home he did not want to let go of yet.

* * *

><p>Eight hours have passed since Sasuke emerged from his container. They had taken only one break since resuming their journey. Now, after carrying Sakura for hours, Sasuke barely seemed out of breath. The pinkette climbed down from his back and looked at her teammate in awe, realizing perhaps for the first time the extent of his strength.<p>

Sensing a sinister aura surrounding them, she knew they had arrived, and having to face the reality of it, she also realized that there was no assurance she would not be disposed of. After all, it was Sasuke that Orochimaru wanted, and she had no special talents to buy her a place by Sasuke's side. A pit formed in Sakura's stomach and she instinctively took a step closer to him, the only safety she felt was left.

As if on cue, two men emerged from the shadows of the trees. The threatening aura was not unfamiliar to Sakura, having felt it before during the chuunin exams when she had to face Orochimaru, who was at the time pretending to be just an ordinary examinee. However, his appearance was different. He had short, light coloured hair, wore a simple, black robe and was covered almost entirely in bandages.

Hid almost entirely behind Sasuke, Sakura peeked over his shoulder at the other man approaching them. Yakushi Kabuto. Intelligent, strong and a good liar. That was all Sakura knew about him. He seemed uneasy, and as they came closer, the mood of Orochimaru's other followers changed to a tense one as well, and while the missing nin's eyes seemed clear as day, the atmosphere made her expect some sort of outburst.

"Sasuke-kun, how nice of you to join us." he spoke calmly while looking over at the rest of the group. "I see you brought along a friend."

Sasuke did not reply, only moving his head to look up at the man he came all this way to train with. Sakura could not see his face, but from his posture, it almost seemed like he was challenging Orochimaru.

"Nice to see you again, Sakura." said Kabuto, looking at her with a somewhat intrigued expression.

"Kabuto-san." she replied, too unsure to speak more than the one word.

"As you can see," Kabuto conitnued. "Orochimaru-sama was forced to go ahead and perform the jutsu early."

Sakon and the rest of the group, aside from herself and Sasuke, bowed deeply in response. Apologies were made for being too late, angry looks were exchanged, all of this leaving Sakura completely lost. After the short exchange, the four followers that had brought them here left quickly, leaving Sakura, Sasuke, Orochimaru and Kabuto alone.

"I wasn't aware we were getting an extra... companion." said Orochimaru as soon as the others left.

His intense eyes made Sakura's knees feel weak, looking through her, more than at her. She nodded, although she wasn't sure why. She figured she couldn't spend her time here being visibly terrified, so, bracing herself, she chose to spoke.

"I refuse to let Sasuke-kun come here all by himself." she said, and though her statement was brave, her voice did not do it justice.

Orochimaru chuckled shortly, then shook his head slightly.

"I do not take in strays, child. You will have to earn your keep. Now come."

Not waiting for a reply, he took off, closely followed by Kabuto. As she stepped forward to follow them, Sasuke grabbed her arm, holding her next to him, and said:

"You should go back, Sakura."

* * *

><p>Eyes locked with hers, Sasuke observed Sakura's reaction. She was like an open book sometimes, her bright green eyes speaking when her mouth could not. She was very obviously considering it, and a voice in Sasuke's head was telling him he didn't really want her to, but he ignored it and pushed forward.<p>

"You don't know where the base is hidden, so you should be fine to just go. We're probably going to be moving anyway."

To Sasuke's surprise, her expression became almost unreadable and as harsh as any he's ever seen before. It was almost as if he made her angry, which confused him to no end. He let go of her hand, waiting for her response and quickly glancing at Orochimaru and Kabuto in the distance, and was surprised to hear her speak in a serious tone.

"I have agreed to abandon my home, have felt terrified and uneasy and I spoke up to a man that could make me disintegrate with one look so please, Sasuke-kun, do not insult my resolve."

And with those words, she grabbed his hand tightly and pulled him forward, leading the way into what could very quickly turn into hell for the both of them. He was glad, though, and he hated to acknowledge the feeling, that he was not alone.

* * *

><p>The inside of the base was mostly dark, seeing as it was located underground. Torches were hanged on the walls following no apparent pattern, illuminating the passage way to what Orochimaru described as their sleeping quarters.<p>

Hearing only the echoes of their footsteps, Sakura focused on formulating a plan. She decided protecting Sasuke was her priority, but it would be hard considering she was both weak and unprepared for this situation. She also knew this wasn't a resort, and if she wanted to stay, as Orochimaru put it, she would have to earn her keep. What that meant, she did not know, but she was sure she would do anything to be able to get stronger and accomplish her goal.

They stopped right in front of a wooden door at the end of the hallway. There were a few small holes in it, allowing Sakura to see that there was no light coming from the inside of the room.

"You can stay in here. Orochimaru-sama has many loyal servants, many of which spend their time in his presence, so we can't spare more than one room." said Kabuto while handing Sasuke the candle he had been carrying.

"Make yourself at home." added Orochimaru with a smirk, looking intensely at Sasuke from head to toe.

As he and Kabuto turned around, ready to leave, Sasuke turned his head and spoke:

"When do I get to train?" he asked.

Orochimaru, halfway turned towards the young Uchiha, looking extremely pleased and perhaps even lustful, replied with a short:

"Soon."

* * *

><p>Moments later, Sasuke and Sakura were inside of the room, awkwardly sitting on their respective beds, not knowing how to fill their time. Exploring the room took a half a minute at most, considering there were only two beds, a wooden table in between them with half a dozen candles plus a support for them and two blankets and pillows at the end of each bed.<p>

Sasuke glanced over at Sakura a few times, thinking how alien she looked in this setting. He was a bit worried about her being there, knowing full well he was the one that brought her along, and also fully aware he could not protect her at all times should it come down to it. Frustrated with himself for not understand his own actions and emotions, Sasuke fell on his back, turning around to face the wall, and decided he might as well rest. Training with Orochimaru would be the priority from now own, becoming stronger through any means.

"Sleep well, Sasuke-kun." he heard Sakura say.

"Hn." he responded, just loud enough for her to hear.

In the dark, listening to her body more on the bed, he considered for a moment how much harder this was for her, and how she stubbornly said she would stick with him no matter what. So, very quietly, and hoping she couldn't hear it, he added a very quiet:

"Thank you."


	4. Okay then

Physical training was first. Sakura mostly observed, for the first few weeks, how Sasuke pushed himself beyond his limits ten times over, to the point where she would have to half carry him back to their room. Orochimaru had no mercy, and his training was tougher than Sakura thought anyone could ever endure.

Day after day, Sasuke would get up as early as the sun and go train, either with Orochimaru or on his own until his new sensei would have time. It was a routine, like any other, that they had both gotten used to. The atmosphere, while still intense and uncomfortable, became more bearable and sometimes even pleasant, when both Sasuke and Sakura were so busy and focused on what they were doing that they forgot where they were and why they were there.

Sakura, as promised, did not get to stay for free. She was like a very unqualified assistant to Kabuto, helping out with his research and experiments. There were, of course, few things she could do even if she wanted to be helpful, considering she couldn't be trusted. Hours and hours would pass in a cold, dark room underground, where Sakura sat and read, took notes and examined various scrolls. Even though she was stuck in there because all the other work was top secret and being kept away from her, it was the one place where she felt entirely comfortable, when alone, and like she could actually be useful.

Most areas of the base were forbidden to her, yet even so she could never completely escape the reality of what kind of people she was living with. Moans and groans, sometimes even screams, came from behind the closed doors Sakura dared not open. Clothes stained with blood, random jars containing organs appearing around the research room. All of it gave Sakura nightmares, and however used to it she might be by now, the sounds still sent shivers down her spine.

The rest of her time she spent watching Sasuke train, trying to stop him from exhausting himself and almost always failing to do so, occasionally joining in, when she felt it was necessary to keep him from working too hard, because he always goes easy on her no matter what state of mind he is in. This proved to be beneficial to both of them, even if Sasuke didn't progress the way he would have wanted to while training with her, now being able to read each other's movements perfectly.

Soon enough, though, the experiments started. A full six months after the daily training sessions began, Sasuke completely snapped, and in one of his rare displays of strong emotions, he demanded that Orochimaru speed up the process. Pleading and begging did nothing, to Sakura's dismay, and having to witness strange substances injected into Sasuke's body and the horrifying tests that followed probably shortened her life span by fifty years.

Wake up. Eat. Train. Get tested. Get experimented on. Suffer the consequences. Try to swallow any kind of food. Be dragged back to bed. That was Sasuke's life from then on, and on one particular night, Sakura swore she would do everything in her power to stop it.

Walking through the dark corridor, Sasuke slumped on Sakura's back while shivering and sweating profusely, Sakura felt like the entire world, not just her weakened teammate, was leaning on her shoulders. Kicking the door open and walking Sasuke to his bed, she felt about as bad as he looked.

"Sasuke-kun, how much longer are you going to do this?" she asked, voice almost breaking.

Laying on his back, arm covering his eyes, Sasuke remained silent, biting his lip. Sakura's heart broke when she realized he was not silent by choice this time, but because it hurt to even breathe. She screamed at Kabuto numerous times, demanding that he use his medical ninjutsu on Sasuke when he was like this, but the man always claimed to be too busy, that it was Sasuke's choice and he should suffer the consequences or that, very plainly and simply, it was none of his business.

"As long as I have to." Sasuke replied finally, sounding out of breath.

Sakura sat on the floor in front of his bed and reached out to squeeze Sasuke's free hand, as she always did when he was feeling so ill. She placed her forehead on their intertwined hands and whispered softly:

"I hate seeing you torture yourself like this."

"You know why I have to do it," he said, squeezing her hand back weakly.

Moving her head slightly to look up at him, Sakura couldn't help but appreciate how open Sasuke had learned to be with her. Six months ago he would have locked her out of the room to avoid being seen in such a weakened state, and he surely wouldn't speak openly about himself, so even under the current circumstances, she was glad they had this. She couldn't even remember how it began, but gradually, he admitted to having an occasional headache, or randomly decided to answer one of her more personal questions, or even allowed her to hold his hand. Small insignificant gestures for most people, but certainly not for them and especially not for Sasuke.

"Will you please do something for me, then?" she asked, locking her eyes to his.

He raised his eyebrows slightly instead of replying, waiting for her to continue.

"Take a break. A few days until you're better. You're not getting stronger when you can't even speak."

Asking Sauke Uchiha to take a break and not pursue his goal obsessively was like asking him to stop breathing. Well aware of that fact, Sakura still tried, and sometimes, to her delight, he actually listened.

"Fine. Just a few days." he answered grumpily, making Sakura smile.

As soon as those words left his mouth, she shot up from the floor after giving his hand one last squeeze. Leaving Sasuke to rest, convinced he wouldn't do anything reckless, she ran out the door and wandered around trying to find Kabuto.

Twenty minutes of almost getting lost brought her to a corridor she was sure she was not allowed to go down. Guided by the distant groans of a man, she stepped through the dark, hoping she would not stumble upon Orochimaru, a man she still tried to avoid whenever possible. Pausing in front of a room she had never been in before, she took a deep breath, hoping the request she was about to make would not be denied.

As her hand made contact with the door handle, the door was opened by none other than Kabuto who, for a moment, looked horrified to see Sakura there. Pushing her aside, quickly closing the door behind him, he grabbed Sakura's hand and dragged her away.

"What do you think you're doing?" he spat out angrily.

Breaking free of his hold, Sakura crossed her arms in front of herself and gave him a hard, angry look. Fighting with him certainly wasn't the plan, but her stubbornness always got the better of her, and at the very least she had to stand her ground.

"Looking for you, obviously."

He gave her a skeptical look, most likely suspecting she was trying to spy on him. After a few moments of silence, he sighed and relaxed somewhat, pushing back his glassed and looking down at Sakura with a calmer expression.

"I apologize for losing my temper. What do you want from me?" he asked.

"I want you to train me to become a medical ninja." Sakura answered as if she was speaking about the weather.

Kabuto's eyes widened for a moment, then, his shocked expression was replaced by a smug, somewhat amused one. Raising one eyebrow, he moved his hand to the back of her head, untying the Konoha headband she was still wearing everyday. Taking it in his hand and waving it around he said:

"Now, why would I train someone who is loyal to an enemy, to Konoha?"

Images of her home flashed before Sakura's eyes in a short moment, things like her mother and father, Naruto and Kakashi sensei, Ino and the flower shop her family owned, the Konoha Academy and all the places she missed so dearly. They were quickly replaced by images of Sasuke, some of the missions they had been on together, some Sakura had imagined, of a little Uchiha boy left alone in the world and lastly, of Sasuke laying on his bed shivering, tortured daily for the one goal he chose to follow.

Grabbing the Konoha headband, Sakura looked at it for a while, then threw it behind her, in the dark corridor, far beyond where the torch light could reach.

"I'm loyal only to Sasuke-kun." she said, calmer and more determined than ever.

Analyzing her expression and answer for a short time, Kabuto chuckled shortly then nodded his head towards the other end of the corridor, where they should be heading. As they began walking he said:

"Okay then. We start tomorrow."


	5. Scoot Over

**Note**: I guess it's time to get a little personal to explain why I update irregularly and probably will continue to do so. My father passed away a little over a month ago, and while writing is a great escape for me, and SasuSaku one of the things that bring me genuine joy, sometimes it's hard to write while being emotionally unwell. I hope you understand and enjoy what I put up.

* * *

><p>It felt wrong. Sasuke's entire body felt unnaturally heavy, like he was carrying weights embedded into his skin. The reaction to the strange substance he had been injecting into himself was odd, part of him being able to feel his stronger muscles, his new agility and increase in chakra, but at the same time, it felt like he had been poisoned, and the effects didn't seem to want to go away at all.<p>

Daily, he would get up, try to train, find himself exhausted after the most basic of exercises and he would give up, but not before draining himself completely. Frustrating as it was, he had to admit that until his condition improved there was no use in straining himself, so, for a little while, he needed to shift his attention to something else.

Having only one thing to think about aside from his life goal, his thoughts automatically shifted to Sakura and her strange behaviour as of late. She had stopped wearing her headband, looked about as tired as he was, sporting dark circles the size of his fist, and most importantly and the most un-Sakura-like characteristic, she barely talked to him.

Worrying was not something Sasuke was used to, having few things to worry about and no reason to not push aside the annoying feeling when it showed up, but when it came to the pink haired girl he had dragged into this place, he was directly responsible for anything that happened to her. Yet, in spite of the deep pit in his stomach and the guilt whenever he saw her degrading state, he couldn't bring himself to say anything to her.

Almost seven months had passed since he had deserted Konoha, and thinking back on the night he had done it, for the millionth time, the young Uchiha had to admit that he did not even want to imagine how excruciating this entire experience would have been without Sakura, who selflessly gave up everything to be by his side. Now, the only problem was showing that gratitude outwardly.

* * *

><p>The feeling was so overwhelming. So empowering and delightful. The glowing chakra, creating warm waves on Sakura's hands. The prickling feeling in her fingers as it was released onto the fish laying in front of her. It felt like being a god, temporarily, like she could continue breathing life into something, or if she chose to, let it die.<p>

Splendid chakra control and natural talent, the two things helping along Sakura's progress. As noted by Kabuto, she was improving faster than anyone he had ever seen before, and while reluctant to teach her anything actually useful, seeing as she was still not a person he could trust, he admitted he couldn't allow such talent to go to waste.

Surprising both of them, Sakura's training sessions created a very odd bond between her and Kabuto. Still strained by the lack of trust and past issues, they shared a genuine interest and excitement for knowledge and medicine, which in turn gave them one thing they could discuss freely.

Around the end of the third week of training, it was clear that Sakura had the potential to become an extraordinary medic in less than half of the time it would normally take.

"i must say, Sakura, this is indeed remarkable." said Kabuto at the end of another exhausting day.

"It's all thanks to the things I learned while being here. Memorizing all of the scrolls, knowing exactly what to do, healing now feels like second nature." Sakura replied, uncomfortably.

Her training consisted of more than basic medical techniques and chakra control. Unfortunately for her, if she wanted to start training seriously, she would have to follow Kabuto into one of his more unpleasant tasks, practicing on the various people, seeing as this was the only way Kabuto could dedicate more than a few hours a day to helping her, and how it would be useful to know more than the average medic whose morals were probably intact.

"Okay. We'll resume tomorrow. I have to go see one of the... patients on the lower levels."

He nodded politely and left the room in a hurry. Feeling uncomfortable and a bit disgusted with some of the things she had agreed to do, she couldn't help but also think of Kabuto's passion for learning and his devotion to Orochimaru. Alone with her thoughts, Sakura had time to ponder over the fact that it was so easy to dehumanize someone. Not seeing Kabuto, or anyone, as simply the enemy complicated things greatly, but it was certainly the truth that things were always more complex than simply being black and white. She thought she could understand Sasuke better, too, if only a little, him being a person who looked beyond such trivial ways of thinking.

Looking back on everything that had happened, Sakura thought that maybe there was no bad or good, only individual opinions and what people found acceptable.

* * *

><p>Awake again, in the middle of the night, unable to ignore the pain in his skull and muscles, Sasuke sat up from the bed and fumbled in the dark, trying to feel the table for the small pills Kabuto had given him for the headaches. Swallowing one without water, he only felt like his condition was getting worse and ungracefully allowed himself to fall on the cold floor, feeling frustrated and perhaps a bit afraid.<p>

In that moment, the door to his room opened and in came Sakura, carrying an almost burnt out candle illuminating her face. Tried green eyes widened upon seeing Sasuke, and he almost felt like laughing for a reason he did not understand. Rushing to help him up, she started asking more questions in a few seconds than she had in the past three weeks.

"Sasuke-kun? What happened? Why are you up? Did you take anything? Have you tried training? Did Orochimaru give you anything else?"

All of it flew out of Sakura's mouth in a desperate voice ready to break. It still baffled Sasuke sometimes, both how much she cared for him and how easily she could show it.

"I just took one of those pills." Sasuke, now standing up, said as he was pointing towards the table.

Sakura walked him to the bed and pushed him on it, her eyes examining him from top to bottom, hands checking his pulse and temperature simultaneously. Sasuke couldn't help but be impressed with the attitude she had taken on, looking exactly like a doctor, only her expression was strained by the obvious feelings she had for him and her excessive worries.

"Where does it hurt?" her question echoed in the almost empty room.

Everywhere, he wanted to say, but instead he placed his hand on his forehead and moved it to the left side of his head all the way to the back, where his skull felt like it was pulsating.

Not a moment later, Sakura's hand was on his forehead, and for perhaps the first time in years Sasuke's expression was completely unguarded, showing his amazement, as the green, glowing chakra made its way into his body, slowly taking away the pain, starting with the surface, then warming up the deepest part of what felt like an endless pit of agony.

* * *

><p>Shying away from a look Sakura thought was filled with pride, she focused on what she had learned, and most importantly, that Sasuke found out about it. Not sure why she wanted to keep it a secret, she had decided Sasuke would find out only when she was strong enough to help him, and this certainly wasn't enough but Sakura's resolve crumbled at the sight of such a vulnerable Sasuke.<p>

He closed his eyes slowly, and his body became more relaxed with every second that passed. Breathing more evenly, Sasuke opened his eyes and gave Sakura a questioning look, waiting for an explanation that he most definitely deserved, seeing as she had ignored him for almost a month.

"I was waiting to show you, not tell you, until I could be of use. I asked Kabuto-san to train me."

A slight head movement was Sasuke's only reply. He seemed thoughtful and distant for a second, then he shook her hand off and said:

"It's okay, Sakura. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Relieved, she exhaled loudly, and, ready to move to her own bed and get some rest, she got up. All of a sudden, though, Sasuke's face changed completely, his eyes shit tightly, nose crinkled, looking like all the pain had flooded right back into his head. Desperate, Sakura sat back down, placing her hand right back on his forehead and said:

"Scoot over."

Sasuke's reply came an entire thirty seconds later, finally looking okay again. His eyebrows shot up, but he moved over nonetheless, and Sakura climbed up into the bed, pulling Sasuke over to her lap and placing both hands on his head, allowing chakra to flow at a steady pace.

"I'll stay like this until you fall asleep, so try to relax." she said, hoping he would be able to do that soon.

Sasuke, looking slightly uncomfortable from their close proximity, closed his eyes and followed her suggestion. Allowing herself a small moment of weakness, she felt the happiness burst inside of her at the thought that she could help Sasuke, if only a little. Determined to continue growing, becoming stronger and more helpful for the both of them, she shut down the childish desire to jump up with joy at her small accomplishment, and focused on Sasuke's chest going up and down steadily.

"Sakura?" asked Sasuke in a sleepy voice.

"Mhm?"

He paused, awkwardly tapping her leg, probably his attempt at an affectionate gesture, and then said:

"Thank you."


	6. Revenge And Pink Hair

**Note**: Thank you for the kind words and all of the feedback. Seeing as inevitable canonization is upon us, I'm more excited than ever about both canon SasuSaku and my version of it. As always, have fun reading and enjoy.

* * *

><p>Sakura's chakra reserves were draining fast, and even with her near perfect control, she knew she would be in trouble should she continue performing the jutsu. The risk was forgotten, however, every time she would resume from the small breaks she would take, and Sasuke's restless sleep would turn into a peaceful one, taking away the frown he wore even in his sleep.<p>

Unsure how much time had passed since Sasuke fell asleep, she still knew this was probably more sleep than he had managed to get in weeks. To say that was worrying was an understatement, and it made her all the more eager to develop her skills and help keep the pain away for good.

While worrying about Sasuke's condition, she also began to wonder why Kabuto had been so stuck on refusing to help with easing her teammate's pain. It was a fact not easy to forget or ignore that Orochimaru's intention was not just to make the last remaining Uchiha stronger out of the goodness of his heart but because he wanted to take over Sasuke's body for himself. The thought made Sakura shudder every time, and it also brought on thoughts of improving her combat skills as well as her medical ninjutsu. No matter how big the difference in skill, she refused to go down without a fight.

Thoughts returning to Kabuto and his unusual and seemingly disobedient behaviour, she wondered if this was not some sort of test. With her newfound knowledge, Sakura knew that while Sasuke's condition was bad, and it would persist, it would not kill him. Judging by his symptoms and the poisons she herself had seen Kabuto work with, she guessed Sasuke had some sort of harmful substance in his system, probably given to him at the same time as the medicine that was supposed to help with his unnaturally fast growth.

The answer seemed obvious now, and Sasuke being poisoned for whatever twisted reasons Orochimaru would use to justify it did no sit well with Sakura at all. However, marching into Kabuto's lab and making demands based on speculations was not an option either, so, the only solution Sakura could think of was to try and get rid of the problem herself.

"Sasuke-kun?" she spoke softly, dreading to wake him.

His senses as sharp as ever, Sasuke woke as soon as Sakura spoke the first letter of his name. He looked up at her through sleepy eyes and Sakura's heart melted at the sight of a well rested and unguarded Sasuke. She knew the feeling of being the only one Sasuke allowed himself to drop his guard around would always make her feel overwhelmed and warm inside.

His response was a groan as he tried to get up. Still having Sakura's hand on his forehead, pumping warm chakra slowly, he moved around until he sat down next to her, his back against the wall.

"I think I know why you're not getting better." she said, watching him carefully.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

"When I first started training with Kabuto-san, he only gave me simple things to practice on, so I had plenty of time to pay attention to what he was doing. This one time, he gave a small rodent water mixed with a brown substance. I still see it whenever I go into his lab, and it looks horribly sick but nowhere near death."

As she finished telling him about the rodent, understanding flooded Sasuke's face. Whether the same thing was in Sasuke's system or not, it was clear Kabuto did have such poisons and if it was needed, he would surely use them on Sasuke.

"Orochimaru wants to expand my limits." said Sasuke after a somewhat long pause.

"What do you mean?"

"He wants his vessel to build resistance to all kinds of things, like poisons for example." he explained.

Disgust did not describe what Sakura was feeling accurately enough. To think that Orochimaru would play around in such a cruel way even with what he wanted the most was disturbing to say the least. Although, the more Sakura thought about it, the more it made sense that he would do such a thing. Sasuke's eyes, after all, should all else fail, could be transplanted.

"How do we stop it?" asked Sasuke.

Sakura's heart tightened in her chest, overwhelmed by the trust which resonated in Sasuke's words, yet scared by her own inexperience and the possibility of doing more harm to him if she failed. Looking away, self doubt replaced what before was confidence that she could learn to do anything, and asking herself why did she even bother, she felt like she did most of the time. Like no matter how many steps forward she would take, the world around her took even more and she remained behind, never progressing fast enough.

"Sakura."

Her name spoken softly by Sasuke brought her back to the present, pulling her away from her dark thoughts. Sasuke trusted no one. Sasuke wanted to become strong and kill his brother more than anything. It was a fact Sakura was aware of all the time, sometimes feeling like the young Uchiha was not even there with her, but constantly living the inevitable future over and over again to the point where his surroundings were completely forgotten. But Sasuke, of all people, would trust her inexperienced self to experiment on him, because she could not call it anything else.

"I know of a way to remove poison from your system, but, Sasuke-kun, I only ever read about it, I don't have the smallest clue if I could-"

"You can. You don't sleep three hours a night and work yourself half to death to say you can't." he interrupted her.

The rest of the sentence stopped in Sakura's throat, almost entirely forgotten due to the fact that Sasuke noticed how hard she had been working, even if he did not know what for until hours ago. It was a strange thing, being complimented by the Uchiha, seeing as most of the time it didn't sound like a compliment, but Sasuke was Sasuke, and him acknowledging how hard she had been working reminded her what she was working so hard for.

"Follow me, then." Sakura spoke in a determined voice, all traces of self doubt erased from her expression.

* * *

><p>His muscles felt like they were being sliced through with every step he took. His head felt heavy, like he had weights wrapped around his skull. Sasuke had to go as far as having to concentrate on the process of putting one foot in front of the other to abe able to walk in a straight line.<p>

The thought that he was being tested in some way had crossed his mind before, and he told himself he'd go through with it, pretend he was ignorant, so long as it meant Orochimaru would pay even more attention to his training once he passed. This, however, was ridiculous. It completely stopped his progress, and he knew if he ever wanted to surpass his brother he needed to do things his own way.

Their own way, whispered a small voice at the back of his head, the one that would never allow him to forget Sakura, who was currently expertly navigating the dark halls of the lower level of the hideout.

As the pink hair occasionally brushed against Sasuke's exposed arm, he realized that there was no more keeping Sakura out of it. Revenge had always been a personal, private thing, something he could accomplish only himself and by himself, yet he'd carried a sleeping Sakura out of Konoha into a place not even he would have wanted to be in, were it not for the fact that this was the best place to get strong fast. He had mixed the two together and now, there was no going back. The harshness that sometimes appeared on his pink haired companion's face and her slowly changing attitude were proof of that. It occurred to Sasuke that among the things he was occasionally missing, Sakura's cheerfulness and attempts to pull him into a normal life with dates and her innocent crush made it near the top of the list.

"Do you regret choosing to stay?" Sasuke asked suddenly, startling Sakura.

Her expression changed so little, Sasuke wondered if this was Sakura at all, yet he could still pick up the subtle changes, like how her muscles tensed just a bit, and how she always bit her lip when she was in deep thought. All of these different things he had noticed about her behaviour in every and all situations were committed to Sasuke's memory, and oddly enough he was pleased to remember every one of them.

"Sometimes." she said, tightening her grip on his waist "But then I remember why I wanted to come in the first place."

She looked away, and Sasuke's mind was filled instantly with memories of the night when he left. Sakura's desperate voice pleading with him, telling him how much she loved him, what a happy life they could live together. It never ceased to bother and amaze him that she had given up more than he had.

"You gave up happiness for me." he said, sounding almost confused.

Stopping in front of a door at the end of the hallway, Sakura simply looked at Sasuke and smiled. Eyes clear and bright, looking almost amused, let Sasuke know that even if he had no idea what she was thinking, his previous statement was entirely incorrect. Remembering his family for a short moment, how he was doing all of these things to avenge them, he wondered if maybe that's how she felt about him. He had been unpleasant a lot of the time, to all people, so as she walked him into the dimly lit room which looked a lot like a torture chamber, Sasuke Uchiha felt grateful for the love she clearly had for him, yet completely confused by it.


End file.
